San Mateo Daily Journal
By Austin Walsh
Daniela Sanchez-Sevilla credited a program offering local community college students free tuition and additional educational support with putting her on the path to be the first person in her family to attend a four-year university.
“I saw all my other peers kind of float around in their college journey and not really have direction,” Sanchez-Sevilla said, a Redwood City native attending Cañada College. “Promise Scholars gave me direction.”
With a $2 million grant from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, 500 more San Mateo County Community College District students will have access to the initiative....
County board President David Canepa joined the district Board of Trustees as well Chancellor Michael Claire and students Monday, April 19, to celebrate the additional funding at Skyline College in San Bruno...Canepa worked with his fellow Supervisor Carole Groom as well as County Manager Mike Callagy, Claire plus district trustees John Pimentel and Maurice Goodman to direct the county financing to the community college system...
Pimentel said the district is also working with state Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo, who authored legislation granting the district greater flexibility to reduce tuition rates.
Senate Bill 659, which Becker crafted with support of local community college officials, advanced through the Senate Education Committee last week.
Becker appreciated the county contribution in a prepared statement as well.
“To me, investments like this are about improving equity and access to critical education and job training opportunities that are not readily available for all students graduating from under-resourced schools,” he said in a prepared statement.